Joe Newell reckons Edinburgh derby day offers a chance to hit the top of the world no matter how bad form is outside the 90 minutes of capital chaos.
The only problem for the Hibs midfielder is that recent instalments of the biggest fixture on Auld Reekie’s football calendar has been akin to scaling Everest for those of a Leith persuasion. Newell has only tasted Edinburgh euphoria once in eight clashes with Hearts. And that was in his derby debut at Tynecastle more than three years ago. It’s been body blow after body blow for Newell since that Boxing Day 2019 victory in Gorgie and the fact he’s still to see Easter Road erupt in triumph at the final whistle only adds to the frustration.
In total Hibs are nine games without a win in the fixture. Yet the 30-year-old is adamant this weekend’s clash in Leith - billed as a disaster derby due to both side’s rotten form - comes at the PERFECT time as they look to save their top six skins. That’s despite a run of four defeats on the spin culminating in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at rock bottom Dundee United leaving Lee Johnson’s side four points adrift of the Euro spots in sixth place.
If anything Hearts are on a worse run with five defeats in all competitions leading to the Jambos pulling the trigger on Robbie Neilson on Sunday. Johnson’s side should be smelling blood as they look to take their rivals’ mantle as kings of the capital.
Newell is just desperate to lose the tag of derby day loser. He said: ”It's horrendous, definitely the worst part of being a footballer, losing your local derby.
"And then the absolute opposite, there is no better feeling in life, if we win next week I can't think of anything else I could do that will make me that happy. That's the reality and they will feel the same.
"All our lads will know the importance of it, there will be no question marks going into it next week. It's probably the perfect game to have after a few bad results, I can't deny that they have had our number the last few times.
"We are due them one. With the extra importance of making the top six, it should be a good game, since I have been here I have played Hearts a few times.
"The year they went down, they still beat us at Easter Road. It's an old cliche, isn't it? Form goes out the window in derbies, I can't emphasise it enough how much it would mean to me, it would mean the world.
“It's impossible to play for this club and not be really invested in it. I have been here four years now, you have got mates who are fans, your own family and friends become fans.
“It's impossible not to be a fan yourself when you have been here this long. It's something I have thought about a lot and I will be trying as hard as I can, You are either on top of the world or think it's the end of the world. It can change so quickly and we know that.
"If I could have picked one game to bounce back next Saturday it would be the derby. It's perfect in that respect, it's at home, so we will be straight back on the training ground and focused on that.”
The safe bet would be on this one ending in a stalemate - the same as the August fixture at Easter Road - given both sides’ struggles.
Newell knows victory in the derby would see Hibs close to within two points of their rivals and reignite their Euro hopes with six games remaining. But they’ll need to improve drastically on Saturday’s defeat to rock bottom Dundee United.
He said: "You look back over the course of the season at the sloppy results we have had that we should take care of. It's come down to a dogfight now, we have to win the last two to guarantee being in the top six.
"If we win the next two we are probably in a very good position so we have just got to keep believing.”
